One can dive at Marsa Alam throughout the year, but the best diving conditions are in the summer months, when you will also be able to view the visiting whale sharks. During April to May, there is a bloom of plankton, which reduces visibility.

Overview:

Marsa Alam is home to incredible hard and soft corals, as well as a host of pelagics which attract divers from far and wide. The marine life is definitely a sight to behold, with entire schools of hammerhead sharks, bumphead parrotfish and pods of dolphins. The best known of all the dive sites is the Elphinstone Reef, which consists of a drift dive and deep coral wall, and is best viewed in the early morning.

Summer air temperatures in Marsa Alam can climb up to 42*C in August,while January is typically the coolest month of the year. The sea can get exceptionally rough in November, with diving trips often being limited to the magnificent reef chain, known as Fury Shoals, in front of Wadi Lami. Here you’ll be able to view pristine coral formations, including the young habailis corals, branching corals and the colourful softer corals.

Marsa Alam is generally a rather windy region with large waves, resulting in divers needing to make use of liveaboards to access the more remote dive sites. The reefs in these harder to reach sites are thus perfectly preserved as not many divers venture to these areas, rather preferring to access the closer dive sites. Marsa Alam is growing immensely in popularity, as more and more divers come to view this truly remarkable diving resort.